Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this chapter.
PROLOGUE
Artemis Fowl the Second was eleven years old at the time. He lived in the Fowl Manor in Ireland and undoubtedly, had the highest IQ anyone ever had, or possibly even could have: 307. His knowledge was beyond that of most humans. But, that this boy was highly intelligent and knowledgeable, was a fact very few knew.
All the Fowls were legendary criminals, and Artemis was dreaming of becoming the best among them. The Fowls had a lot of enemies owing to their criminal activities as well as wealth, as the Fowls were amongst the wealthiest families in Ireland. The Fowls were guarded by Butlers, who had served the Fowls for centuries. The Butler children were sent to a private training centre in Israel, where they were taught the specialized skills necessary to guard the latest in the Fowl line. The Butlers were the most skilled bodyguards in the world. Once a Fowl and a Butler were put together, they were paired for life. It was a demanding job, and lonely, but the rewards were handsome if you survived to enjoy them. If not, then your family received a six-figure settlement plus a monthly pension.
The current Butler had been guarding young Master Artemis for eleven years, since the moment of his birth. And, though they adhered to the age-old formalities, they were much more than master and servant. Artemis was the closest thing Butler had to a friend, and Butler was the closest Artemis had to a father, albeit one who obeyed orders.
Artemis and Butler had never been apart from each other for more than a week. Guarding his Principle was Butler's job. But Butler never knew that he would have to stay away from his Principle for nearly sixty months' time over the next seven years…